In July 2014, Israel launched a major ground offensive into the Gaza strip in response to rockets being fired by Palestinian militants and to destroy a network of tunnels used by Hamas and other factions. By the time they left some 2,200 Palestinians had been killed, including a significant number of civilians. Now, for the first time, Israeli soldiers have described the orders they received for fighting in civilian areas – orders that treated any Palestinian as a threat. Among those who have spoken out is a 22-year-old sergeant who served in a tank